Nats Homer Five Times, Clobber Braves 9-2

Well, that one got ugly late.  The Washington Nationals hit five home runs tonight as they pummel the Atlanta Braves 9-2.  Believe it or not the Braves were at one point leading this game 2-0.  But the long ball destroyed the Braves as the evening turned into night.  Jayson Werth homered.  Bryce Harper crushed two in tonight’s game.  For Bryce that’s 5 home runs in 2 days!!! Even second baseman Danny Espinosa had a multi-homer game.  The best part of tonight’s game is that it ended well before 10PM ET.

For the Braves there were a few positive takeaways from tonight’s drubbing.  Besides the two home runs he gave up, Eric Stults pitched well, striking out seven batters.  His breaking ball and off-speed stuff made Nats hitters look foolish.  It was when Stults got tired and left two pitches up in the zone did Washington capitalize with the long ball.

Freddie Freeman is still swinging the bat well with a pair of doubles and an RBI on the night.  With Andrelton Simmons’ improved plate discipline, I’m really starting to like the Braves top of the order: Markakis, Simmons, and Freeman.  Fredi Gonzalez just has to figure out 4-8 and we’re golden all summer long.

Or not, because the middle relief for the Atlanta Braves is simply dreadful now.  Williams Perez had about as bad of a big league debut as one could ever imagine: four earned runs in one-third of an inning pitched.  Not only are the Braves middle relievers walking guys for fun it seems, they are now cool with giving up multi-runs homers like it’s no big deal.  Besides Cody Martin and Brandon Cunniff to some extent, it’s nearly impossible to stomach the Braves early inning relievers.

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Does John Hart have to hold tryouts this weekend at the Ted for middle relief help.  I could throw strikes when I was 18 before elbow tendonitis ended my storied baseball career.  Seriously, someone in the Atlanta metropolitan area sitting on their couch at home can do better.  If the bullpen is going to leak like a sieve this summer, please keep Sugar Ray Marimon on the big league roster for two reasons: his name is awesome and he’s Julio Teheran’s cousin.

Bullpen rant over.  The back-end is respectable with Luis Avilan, Jim Johnson, and Jason Grilli.  Atlanta just has to figure out how to get their starters to pitch seven innings every single night like the Golden Days of Baseball.  If the Braves had to get clobbered tonight so that the Hawks can beat the Wizards tomorrow evening, I’ll take it.  Just no more Bryce Harper homers this weekend, PLEASE!!!  Better luck tomorrow, Braves.  Julio Teheran gets the start tomorrow afternoon versus Doug Fister.  First pitch is at 4:05 PM ET.